Missouri headline: The state’s $8,000 rebate is not open yet, and Ameren’s old instant HVAC rebate ended in 2025. What is live in 2026 depends on your utility: Ameren PAYS gives about $2,000 toward an air-source heat pump ($5,000 for geothermal) through on-bill financing, and Evergy in Kansas City still offers rebates. Income-qualified households can get free weatherization now. The federal 25C credit expired after December 31, 2025.
The honest picture: Missouri is thinner than most
Missouri is a harder rebate state than its neighbors right now, so it helps to know exactly what is real. Two things changed: the state’s federal rebate has not launched, and the largest utility ended its straightforward heat pump rebate.
Missouri applied for about $151 million in federal Home Energy Rebate money (HEAR and HOMES), run by the Department of Natural Resources Division of Energy, but the program is not open as of mid-2026 with no firm date.4 And Ameren Missouri’s old instant heating and cooling rebate ended January 1, 2025.1
That does not leave you with nothing. It leaves you with three live paths, depending on who you are.
This is the Missouri companion to our 2026 heat pump rebate guide.
Path 1: Ameren customers, use PAYS
Ameren still helps, just through a different door. Its Pay As You Save (PAYS) program provides about $2,000 toward an air-source heat pump and $5,000 toward a ground-source (geothermal) heat pump, valid through December 31, 2026.1
How PAYS works: Ameren funds the upgrade, and you repay through a charge on your monthly electric bill, with the incentive lowering the financed amount. The idea is that the energy savings roughly offset the bill charge. For a senior who cannot pay a large sum upfront, this spreads the cost, though you should compare the total against paying cash.
Ameren serves St. Louis and much of eastern and central Missouri. Confirm your home qualifies (system age and how long you have lived there) before you count on it.
Path 2: Evergy customers, check the rebate chart
If you are on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro, you have Evergy, which still runs a Heating and Cooling rebate program plus FastTrack on-bill financing.3
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Heat pump rebate | Around $1,000 and up |
| Financing | FastTrack, on-bill |
| Typical eligibility | Lived in home 12+ months, old or failing system |
Rebate amounts change, so confirm the current figure on the Evergy Missouri rebate chart at evergy.com before you buy.
Path 3: Low-income households, free weatherization
This is the part a senior on a fixed income should not skip. The Ameren Missouri Weatherization Assistance program funds free improvements such as insulation and sealing of doors and windows, delivered through local agencies.2
- Household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, or
- You receive SSI or TANF (automatic eligibility).
Many seniors on Supplemental Security Income qualify automatically.
Weatherization does not always include a heat pump, but the free assessment and sealing cut how much heating and cooling your home needs, which lowers the size and cost of any heat pump you install later.
Income limits for the state rebate (when it opens)
When the HEAR program launches, eligibility will cap at 150% of Area Median Income (AMI), measured at the county level using HUD data.7 Below 80% AMI gets the highest tier (up to $8,000); 80 to 150% AMI gets 50% of project cost.
Approximate 80% AMI thresholds for a family of 4:
| County / region | 80% AMI (family of 4) |
|---|---|
| St. Louis County | ~$74,000 |
| Jackson County (Kansas City) | ~$70,000 |
| Greene County (Springfield) | ~$56,000 |
| Boone County (Columbia) | ~$68,000 |
| Rural Missouri counties | ~$48,000 to $54,000 |
For a senior household on Social Security only, eligibility is usually clean in any Missouri county.
Federal layer (2026)
The federal 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, which paid up to $2,000 for a heat pump in prior years, expired for installs after December 31, 2025.5
What remains in 2026:
- 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit: 30% of solar cost through 2034. Applies if you pair the heat pump with solar.6
- 25C on insulation, panel upgrades, and audits: still active at smaller caps. Heat pumps are excluded.
See IRA 25C expired 2026 for the full federal picture.
Senior stack scenarios
Scenario A: St. Louis retired couple, Ameren customer, income at 180% of poverty level
- Ameren Weatherization Assistance (under 200% FPL): free insulation and sealing
- Ameren PAYS air-source heat pump incentive: about $2,000, on-bill
- Live today: free weatherization plus a $2,000 PAYS incentive. When the state rebate opens, add up to $8,000.
Scenario B: Kansas City household, Evergy customer
- Evergy heat pump rebate: around $1,000 and up
- Evergy FastTrack financing: optional
- Live today: about $1,000 off, plus financing. Add the state rebate later if income-eligible.
Scenario C: Springfield household, Liberty customer, above 150% AMI
- State rebate: not open, and would not qualify above 150% AMI
- Liberty utility rebate: check current offerings
- Plan for mostly out-of-pocket now. Consider the 25D credit if pairing with solar.
Verify your contractor first
Missouri has no statewide contractor license, so licensing happens at the city or county level. Confirm the local license with your building department, and for the PAYS or Evergy programs, use a contractor the utility recognizes.
Red flags to reject:
- Door-to-door pitches. Legitimate contractors do not cold-call.
- A “guaranteed” state rebate. The state program is not open, so nobody can guarantee it.
- No local license or business address on the quote.
- R-410A equipment for a 2026 install. That refrigerant no longer qualifies under the EPA rule.8
Verify a license in about a minute with our Missouri contractor license lookup guide.
- Find your utility on your electric bill (Ameren, Evergy, or Liberty)
- If income is at or below 200% of poverty or you get SSI/TANF, apply for free weatherization
- Ameren customers: ask about the PAYS heat pump incentive (through 2026)
- Evergy customers: check the current rebate chart at evergy.com
- Watch dnr.mo.gov for the $8,000 state rebate launch
What’s next
- Federal 2026 landscape: Heat pump rebates 2026
- Post-25C federal picture: IRA 25C expired 2026
- Cold-climate equipment: Cold-climate heat pumps
- Total cost math including stacks: Heat pump cost calculator
- Missouri contractor check: Missouri contractor license lookup
- Family in other states: Illinois, Iowa
Citations
- Residential Heating and Cooling: PAYS Incentives. Ameren Missouri, retrieved July 19, 2026. ameren.com Missouri HVAC.
- Weatherization Assistance (Income-Qualified). Ameren Missouri, retrieved July 19, 2026. ameren.com weatherization.
- Heating and Cooling Rebates: Heat Pump (Missouri). Evergy, retrieved July 19, 2026. evergy.com heat pump rebate.
- Missouri Division of Energy: Home Energy Rebates. Missouri Department of Natural Resources, retrieved July 19, 2026. dnr.mo.gov energy.
- Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C). U.S. Internal Revenue Service. irs.gov 25C.
- Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D). U.S. Internal Revenue Service. irs.gov 25D.
- Income Limits Documentation System. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, April 2026. huduser.gov income limits.
- Technology Transitions: Restrictions on Use of Certain HFCs. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. epa.gov technology transitions.